Our Honeymoon Road Trip Across The United States and Canada

Where do I even begin!? 77 days, 24000kms, 21 states, and 8 provinces. Needless to say this was a trip of a life time for us. Although this adventure took place in spring 2018, it all truly began on October 22nd, 2017 – The day my husband, Jarrett, and I bought our truck camper. From that point onward we threw around some travel ideas until on March 8th, 2018 our plan was set in stone. For our honeymoon we decided to travel across the United States and then back through Canada, with our pup in tow (of course!). This road trip across North America was nothing short of extraordinary. Keep reading for our top 5 favourite spots…

First up, in chronological order, is The Great National Sand Dunes in Colorado. This place was unlike anything we’ve ever seen, there were HUGE sand dunes and giant mountains. The sand dunes don’t look as big in the photos as they really were… but they were massive! We hiked all the way up to the top of the dunes where we watched the sunset. It was so breathtaking that we couldn’t stop saying to one another how surreal this place was. Not only was that an amazing experience, we also had a wonderful campsite with mountains and wilderness in our “backyard” (and pretty much also in our “front yard” for that matter). It was the perfect spot to really start our exploring.

Since it’s impossible to pick just one location here, we’ve decided California as a whole is on the list. The Golden Gate Bridge, The San Francisco City Hall, Venice, Morro Bay, Sequoia National Forrest, Palm Springs, Yosemite National Park (Tunnel view is where we saw that magical rainbow pictured below), Malibu, the Pacific Coast Highway, the Cyprus Tree Tunnel in Point Reyes National Seashore, and too many beautiful beaches to list. All such great adventures and so many more that we could add to the list!

Thirdly, the next place in our top 5 was the Umpqua National Forest in Oregon. There were so many great trails with enchanting, vibrant plant life that led to breathtaking waterfalls. While visiting one of the waterfalls Jarrett and I decided to go swimming underneath it, which was a first for both of us. It was so much fun, we couldn’t stop laughing. A random little memory that sticks out in our minds, just pure bliss. It wasn’t just waterfalls and hiking trails that we came across during our exploring in this area, we also tried natural hot springs for the first time, so relaxing and a stunning view.

Next up, Jasper, Alberta also scored a spot on the list. SO. MANY. MOUNTAINS. And so many beautiful lakes and hikes. We were lucky enough to be able to hit up most of the spots in this area during the best times, shortly after sunrise and shortly before sunset which made for spectacular reflections in the water and peaceful moments with few tourists. Pyramid Lake, Patricia Lake, and Maligne Lake were remarkable. We also stopped at a place called Honeymoon Lake (how fitting!). The Columbia Icefield was also really neat and there were some beautiful falls in the area too.

Honourable mentions for more incredible and unforgettable spots during our springtime trip: Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods in Colorado. Zion National Park in Utah (although they only have ONE dog friendly trail, which was disappointing, it was beautiful). The Grand Canyon, the Desert Botanical Garden (perfect timing for cacti blooms), the Horseshoe Bend, and Devil’s Bridge in Arizona (can you spot me on the bridge in the photos?). Mount Robson Provincial Park, Moraine Lake, and Lake Louise in British Columbia. As well as Johnston Canyon trail and Bow Summit in Alberta. Really we need a top 50 not a top 5 to include all of our favourites.

Last but not least for our top 5 favourite places we stopped at is the one, the only, Nova Scotia, Canada. Our last stop. Even though we would travel all over the world in a heartbeat it’s true there is no place like home and this place we call home is an amazingly beautiful, unique, breathtaking province. We have always enjoyed traveling and exploring right here at home. Cape Breton, the South Shore, Kejimkujik National Park, Duncan’s Cove, and the Wolfville area are just a few places that we’ve had amazing adventures together (with so many other places on the list to visit!). The only hard part is finding the time to go, but trust me it’s worth making time for.

I hope you enjoyed reading a little bit about our adventures and that you enjoy looking through the photos that highlight them. Also be sure to check out the videos at the end… Jarrett tried videography for the first time and he’s a natural!

If you have any questions about where we visited, how to find places worth visiting during a getaway, what it’s like travelling with a dog, questions about our camper, or how we’re still married (LOL just kidding, but seriously we did get the “If you get through living together in that box for a couple months, you’ll survive anything!” comments all the time)… or anything else on your mind, just ask!